Planner gets heat from commissioner

An audio recording of a Charlevoix County Board personnel committee meeting revealed commissioner Chris Christensen wanted to sanction planner Larry Sullivan for his handling of a state grant application that would help pay for a proposed non-motorized recreational trail along Boyne City-Charlevoix Road.

CHARLEVOIX -- A Charlevoix County commissioner unsuccessfully sought to reprimand the county planner over a grant application for what's become a contentious proposed trail.

An audio recording of a Charlevoix County Board personnel committee meeting revealed commissioner Chris Christensen wanted to sanction planner Larry Sullivan for his handling of a state grant application that would help pay for a proposed non-motorized recreational trail along Boyne City-Charlevoix Road.

Christensen told Sullivan during the April 20 meeting that he is disappointed by what he described as a rush prior to the grant application deadline, that Sullivan overstepped his role in the process and publicly made certain comments after the proposal submission.

Sullivan said he acted in a supportive role to other county officials and does not believe he disobeyed any rules or direct orders.

Christensen called it "borderline insubordination."

"I've got to be honest with you, Larry. I don't like the way you're doing business here, man. I think it's poorly reflective on the county and I think it's poorly reflective on this board," he said.

Christensen said commissioners were "blind-sided" with the fast-approaching April 1 grant application deadline when informed about the situation on March 9. However, Sullivan said he made it clear the board could wait another year to apply, though there is a two-year lag to receive the state funds.

Official meeting minutes reflect how Sullivan made that point and asked if he should currently be using his time to pursue the grant.

Christensen also accused Sullivan of disobeying an order not to attend Evangeline Township or Boyne City Commission meetings to discuss the trail. Once again, official meeting minutes from that day show Christensen said he felt that duty should be left to the county's parks committee, but no vote was taken and no other commissioners expressed that opinion.

"Was there a misunderstanding in the fact that we asked that they handle those requests on their own? I guess I'm at a loss, sir," Christensen said.

Sullivan then made the lack of consensus point during his inquisition.

"You're one commissioner out of six," Sullivan said before being interrupted. He eventually continued by saying, "I heard that from one person, though I did not hear that as being a consensus of the board."

"This is what leads us down that insubordinate behavior path, Larry -- the semantics we continue to argue with one another," Christensen retorted.

Finally, Christensen questioned whether Sullivan publicly stated multiple times that the grant has zero chance of approval because the county abandoned maintenance responsibilities.

"If you did make that statement publicly in the parking lot and at the Evangeline Township meeting, why didn't you have the foresight to make that comment at the public hearing that night for the benefit of all of the board of commissioners that had the discussion while the discussion was going on?" Christensen said.

Sullivan did not directly answer that question.

Contrary to Christensen, commissioner Ron Reinhardt said he has no problem with Sullivan expressing his opinion in public, but is bothered by his attendance at meetings to promote the trail when he's on the clock for the county. On his own time, he can do what he likes, Reinhardt said.

Some of the public meetings Sullivan attended were on county time, such as the Charlevoix County Road Commission and the Boyne City Commission meetings, while others were after business hours, such as the Evangeline Township meeting.

Most of the personnel committee discussion about Sullivan's work on the grant happened in open session before Christensen said he wanted to discuss Sullivan's performance and offered to enter closed session. Sullivan declined and the meeting remained open to the public.

Christensen then said he wanted to place a reprimand letter in Sullivan's personnel file for "some form of misfeasance" or "insubordinate behavior."

Reinhardt disagreed and the issue died in committee.

"I would not go that route. I think that this is a misunderstanding," Reinhardt said.

County board chairman Joel Evans did not attend the personnel committee meeting, but later said he didn't know whether putting a letter in Sullivan's file would change anything, anyway. But, he does agree that Sullivan becomes distracted from other planning duties by championing particular projects, such as the trail.

"I don't think he's done anything to hurt Charlevoix County. I do agree with Chris that he hasn't tended to his county planning duties, although I know the trail is part of county planning," Evans said.

Commissioner Shirlene Tripp, also the parks committee chairwoman, said Sullivan hasn't done anything wrong and trying to block him from attending public meetings in other municipalities to answer questions those officials may have does not benefit Charlevoix County citizens.

"Larry knows what's going on and when people ask him questions about this grant process, the information just flows from him. He knows his stuff," Tripp said.

Furthermore, Tripp said Christensen is a bit out-of-line in his treatment of Sullivan.

"I think he's like a schoolyard bully. It's his way or no way. He's not very respectful," Tripp said.

Ultimately, the personnel committee wanted to minimize any future concerns about Sullivan's grant application work. So they voted in favor of a new county policy that would require any grant applications Sullivan works on to be fully discussed at a minimum of 60 days prior to the submission deadline.

The proposed policy will be discussed at the coming full board meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 27.

In the aftermath, Sullivan said he is looking to the future.

"I think there is probably confusion as to what the expectations are and it's nothing that can't be resolved through a conversation with the interested parties," he said. "I'm not letting it get to me."

Christensen said he didn't want to further discuss the issue, now that the personnel committee meeting is over.

"In all fairness to Larry, I don't want to rehash the issue," he said.

Charlevoix County hired Sullivan as a planner in 1981 and he intends to retire in July 2013, he said.

Commissioners voted last month to submit an application for a $300,000 Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant to help build the first portion of the trail from Boyne City to the Bay and Evangeline townships line. Boyne City officials agreed to contribute more than $11,000 and applied for a $565,900 federal Transportation Enhancement Act grant, while Evangeline Township pledged more than $33,000. About $45,000 is needed in private donations.